The Philadelphia Eagles continued their 2019 preseason by beating the Jaguars on Thursday night but who stood out io the Philly triumph?
Carson Wentz once again did not play for the Philadelphia Eagles and, as the team tries to keep him healthy for the 2019 regular season, it’s hard to say if we’ll see him at all in the preseason. Even without the starting quarterback taking the field, though, the Eagles were able to go on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars and pick up a win in the second week of the preseason.
The Eagles defense no doubt submitted a strong effort as Nick Foles was on the sidelines against his former team. Philly got after Gardner Minshew and the rest of the Jaguars quarterbacks throughout the night, which helped to guide them to the 24-10 victory on Thursday night.
As for the offense, the Eagles run game was fierce thanks to a strong performance from the offensive line. Clayton Thorson, meanwhile, had his ups and downs but submitted a solid outing for review overall.
While those were the highlights, let’s take a look at the three Philadelphia Eagles standouts from the second game of the preseason.
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3. Jordan Mailata, OT
When the Eagles selected Jordan Mailata in the seventh round of the 2018 draft, he had never played football before. Thus, when the former rugby player got on the field last preseason, it was clear that he had come a long way.
Through two preseason games, though, it’s now obvious that Mailata has come a long way. Against the Jaguars, he was one of the most impressive players on the offense. Getting substantial reps at offensive tackle, Mailata paved the way for whoever was running the ball and has truly made great strides.
It’s hard to say that he’ll be seeing the field in any meaningful capacity in the 2019 season. However, it’s also becoming more apparent that he has a future in this league and with the Eagles.
2. Daeshon Hall, DE
Behind Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett and Vinny Curry, the defensive end rotation for Philadelphia’s defense is still being decided. Though he’s not done much at all to this point in his career since being a third-round pick by the Panthers, Daeshon Hall is starting to make a case that he should be the fourth player in that defensive end rotation.
Hall was a monster against the Jaguars on Thursday night, registering two tackles, two sacks, one tackle for loss and three quarterback hits on the night — and that doesn’t even account for the pressures when he didn’t get all the way home. The hope is that the former Texas A&M Aggie can continue performing at this level in the final two weeks of the preseason. If he does, he could well overtake Josh Sweat as No. 4 on the edge on the depth chart.
1. Miles Sanders, RB
One of the primary questions that the Eagles needed to answer in the 2019 preseason was how much of a role rookie running back Miles Sanders would play in the offense. On Thursday night against Jacksonville, the Penn State product showed that he can be a critical and effective part of that unit with how he ran.
Sanders got five carries on the night and took them for 31 yards. Even if you take out his 16-yard carry that he had on the night, the rookie still toted the ball four additional times for 15 yards. He showcased good vision, solid athletic burst and the potential to break off big chunks of yardage when he gets the ball in his hands.
While Donnel Pumphrey and Boston Scott were both effective against the Jags too, Sanders was the player that had the most to prove. Him stepping up when being in the spotlight is a good look for the Penn State product.